A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former Edo State governorship aspirant, Kenneth Imansuaghon, has thrown his weight behind former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s proposal to reopen Nigeria’s land borders, arguing that the policy could boost trade, attract investment and help ease the country’s economic hardship if implemented.

This followed Atiku Abubakar’s recent pledge that, if elected President in 2027 on the platform of the ADC, he would reopen Nigeria’s land borders and implement measures to facilitate the movement and importation of goods.

Atiku had argued that prolonged border closures disrupted legitimate businesses, constrained regional trade and undermined economic growth.

In a statement, Imansuaghon said the planned reopening of Nigeria’s borders with neighbouring countries, including the Benin Republic, Niger, Chad and Cameroon, would restore legitimate cross-border commerce, improve the movement of goods within the West African sub-region and create fresh economic opportunities.

He, however, criticised the economic reforms introduced by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, alleging that they have worsened the cost-of-living crisis, weakened businesses and left many Nigerians struggling to survive.

According to him, many businesses have either scaled down operations or shut their doors, resulting in job losses and declining economic activity.

“The reopening of the borders will restore legitimate trans-border trade, encourage investors, stimulate local businesses and ultimately reduce the prices of food and other essential commodities through healthy competition,” he said.

Imansuaghon also argued that persistent insecurity in parts of northern Nigeria has constrained agricultural production, making regional trade an important complement to domestic food supply.

He maintained that strengthening trade relations with neighbouring countries would improve supply chains and contribute to stabilising food prices.

The ADC stalwart further cited the reported exit of ride-hailing company Uber from Nigeria after more than a decade of operations as evidence of what he described as an increasingly difficult business environment.

He alleged that current economic policies have discouraged investment and contributed to rising unemployment, particularly among young graduates.

Imansuaghon expressed concern over what he described as worsening socio-economic conditions, claiming that rising poverty has forced many citizens into desperate means of survival.

He accused the APC-led Federal Government of failing to make basic necessities affordable but expressed confidence that an Atiku-led administration would pursue policies capable of reversing the country’s economic challenges.